1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to refrigeration systems, and, more particularly, is concerned with an improvement of a refrigeration system which utilizes a water-cooled condenser unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One commercial refrigeration system in use on dairy farms for bulk cooling of milk produced after each milking of the dairy herd incorporates a water-cooled condenser unit. Well water at approximately 60.degree. F. is pumped to the condenser unit from the bulk milk cooling tank, is transferred to the water such that the water flowing from the condenser unit is at approximately 145.degree. F. As a rule of thumb, the water-cooled condenser unit of this commercial refrigeration system when operating with 60.degree. F. well water will produce a volume of 145.degree. F. water generally equal to the volume of milk being cooled after a milking. For example, if 100 gallons of milk per milking is to be cooled by the system, approximately 100 gallons of 60.degree. F. well water will be required by the water-cooled condenser unit for operation of the refrigeration system and 100 gallons of 145.degree. F. water will be produced thereby.
The hot water produced by this system is generally pumped into one or more storage tanks from which some of it is utilized for "prepping" the dairy cows and washing the milk cooling tank, the milking equipment and the milking parlor itself. However, a substantial volume of the hot water is commonly drained off as waste after each milking since 60.degree. F. water is required to operate the refrigeration system.
Some dairy operators store the surplus hot water for later re-use in the refrigeration system once its temperature decreases to where it can be mixed with cold well water, thus conserving to a limited degree the overall amount of fresh cold well water that will be required. But such practice necessitates the utilization of more space for and added expense of installation and maintenance of several more water storage tanks.